Selected Work

BG Muhn is a practicing visual artist and a researcher and curator of the North Korean art genre Chosonhwa.

He has committed the last ten years to researching, writing books, giving lectures and curating international exhibitions on North Korean art.

EDUCATION & CURRENT POSITION:

M.F.A. University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland

B.F.A. California College of the Arts, Oakland, California

B.A. So-gang University (Journalism major), Seoul, Korea

Currently, Professor of art, Department of Art and Art History, Georgetown University

SELECTED ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS (AS AN ARTIST):

2019 • Gallery Imazoo, Seoul, Korea

2013 • VisArts, Rockville, Maryland

2012 • Gallery Skape, Seoul, Korea

2010 • American University Museum, Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC

• Gallery Skape, Seoul, Korea

2002 • Ilmin Art Museum, Seoul, Korea

1999 • Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, New York

1997 • Space Untitled Gallery, New York, New York

SELECTED REVIEWS & MEDIA COVERAGE (AS AN ARTIST):

2013 • The Washington Post (March 23), Mark Jenkinsen, “BG Muhn; various artists”

2012 • Art in Culture (August), “A Drama Absurd Created by the Bule Wolf,”
Nine-page feature review by Bok-gi Kim with seventeen reproductions of artwork

• Top Class (August), “Invitation to a Mysterious Tale beyond Time and Space,” Six-page feature review by Jin-sook Lee with multiple reproductions of artwork

2008 • The Washington Post (June 13), Michael O’Sullivan, “Paint: The Message vs. the Medium”

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/12/AR2008061201100.html

• Art in Asia (Sep-Oct), “B.G. Muhn,” A full-page article with two reproductions of artwork

2005 • CNN (March 24), Interview by Brian Todd for “Wolf Blitzer Reports”

• Le Nouvel Observateur (June 30-July 6), “Etats-Unis: L’armée des morts,” Interview by Jean-Paul Mari

• The Washington Post (March 23), “Faces of the Fallen,” Review by Libby Copeland

2004 • Noblesse (October), Feature article by Jung-wha Buh

• KBS (July 7), “B.G. Muhn,” Guest on one-hour talk show by Young-nam Cho, TV talk show host,

filmed in New York

2003 • Washington City Paper (October 3-9), “Zen Arcadia – Artist B.G. Muhn Looks for Paradise in the Simple Things: Buddhism, Fish Bellies, and Baby-doll Heads,” Interview by John Metcalfe

• The Asia Post (October 10), “B.G. Muhn: Truth-Seeking Korean-American Artist,"

Full-page feature article by Andrew Sohn

2003 • Para 21 (Autumn issue), “Plug In: Dialog with B.G. Muhn - Portraying Pain of Life, Death,” Feature interview and multiple reproductions of artwork

2002 • Wolgan Misool (July), “B.G. Muhn,” Review by Tae-man Choi

• News Maker (July 18), “About My Own Work” by B.G. Muhn

• Art in Culture (July), “Reconciliation of the Conscious and the subconscious:

Louise Bourgeois vs. B.G. Muhn,” Review by Choong-whan Koh

• Vogue Korea (July), “Diary with the Arts: B.G. Muhn”

• Marie Claire (July), “Art Interview: ‘I Love You’ by B.G. Muhn,” Interview by Jae-young Kim

• Maison (July), “People: Bizarrely Shocking Images by B.G. Muhn,” Interview by Sung-yun Park

• Deco Madame Figaro (July), “Culture Art: Consciousness or Subconsciousness,” Review by On-je Yoon

• Vogue Korea (August), “Art Meets Vogue” by Jee-sun Park

• The Korea Herald (June 21), “Artist Exhumes Depths of Consciousness,” Interview and Feature Review by Catherine Jun

• MBC (June 10), Interview aired on “News Today”

• KBS (August 9), Interview aired on “Morning News”

2001 • The Sun (October 11), “A Fresh View of Asian Art,” Review by Laura Cadiz

• Columbia Flier (November 1), “Asian Art: Any Ties for Western Eyes?” Review by Mike Giuliano

2000 • Haute (January), “B.G. Muhn, Tenured Professor at Georgetown University, Gaining Recognition in

New York,” Article by Oak-ja Jung

1999 • The New York Times (June 25), “B.G. Muhn at Stefan Stux,” Review by Ken Johnson

• Wolgan Misool (February), “Artist of the Month,” Feature article by Wan-kyung Sung

• KBS (July 14), “B.G. Muhn, Artist with Challenging Spirits,” One-hour documentary film

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS OF ARTWORK (AS AN ARTIST):

• Seoul City Museum, Seoul, Korea • Trawick Foundation, Bethesda, Maryland

• Truland Foundation, Alexandria, Virginia • H.C. Park & Associates, PLC, Vienna, Virginia

• Sigma Gallery, New York, New York • Ilmin Museum, Seoul, Korea

• Korea University Museum, Seoul, Korea • Woosong University Museum, Dai-jeon, Korea

• National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITIONS (AS A CURATOR):

2018 • “North Korean Art: Paradoxical Realism,” Gwangju Biennale, Gwangju, Korea (Sep. 7 – Nov. 11)

2016 • “Contemporary North Korean Art: Evolution of Socialist Realism,”

the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC (June 18 – Aug. 14)

• “South Korean Art: Examining Life through Social Realities,” the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, Washington, DC (June 18 – Aug. 14), Co-curated with GimChoe Eun-yeong

2015 • “Pulse of the Future: Chinese Contemporary Art,” the American University Museum at the Katzen
Arts Center, Washington, DC (Sep. 12 – Oct. 9), Co-curated with Jack Rasmussen

REVIEWS & MEDIA COVERAGE (AS A CURATOR):

2018 “North Korean Art: Paradoxical Realism,” Gwangju Biennial, Gwangju, Korea

•The Economist •The Washington Post •UPI •AERA

•Contra •The Financial Times •TV Tokyo •Apollo

•Il Sole 24 Ore •Art Review •Artinfo •ArtAsiaPacific

•Artforum. •The Art Newspaper •Ocula •Asahi Simbun

•Elephant •Le Quotidien de l’Art •Artnet

•Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

2016 “Contemporary North Korean Art: Evolution of Socialist Realism,” American University Museum, Washington, DC

•The DCist •Feature Story News •National Geographic •The Washington Diplomat

•Artsy •The Washington Post •The Creators Project •US News & World Report

•Fast Co. Design •The DC City Paper •Xinhua World TV (China)

•National Geographic live Facebook interview (over 82,000 views and 900 replies)

FELLOWSHIPS, GRANTS & AWARDS:

2018 • Senior Faculty Research Fellowship, Georgetown University (Fall)

2017 • Summer Academic Grant, Georgetown University

2014 • Summer Academic Grant, Georgetown University

2010 • Individual Artist Award in Visual Arts: Works on Paper, Maryland State Arts Council

• Senior Faculty Research Fellowship, Georgetown University (Fall)

2008 • Best in Show Award, Bethesda Painting Awards, Bethesda, Maryland

• Individual Artist Award in Painting, Maryland State Arts Council

ARTICLE PUBLISHED (AS A RESEARCHER):

•“North Korean Art: Paradoxical Realism,” Border Crossings, Kunstmuseum Bern.
(Bern Switzerland: 2021), pp. 56-71

• “North Korean Art,” Index on Censorship (London: Index on Censorship, 2017), pp. 8-11.

• “From Behind Closed Door: BG Muhn on the Art of North Korea,” Contra (London: Contra, 2019),
pp.140-151

PUBLICATIONS (AS A RESEARCHER):

• Pyongyang Art: The Identity of Chosonhwa (Tokyo: Sheidosa Publishing Company, Translated by

Pek Rum, PhD., 2021)

• North Korean Art: The Enigmatic World of Chosonhwa (Seoul: Seoul Selection, 2019)

• 평양미술: 조선화 너는 누구냐 Pyongyang Art: The Identity of Chosonhwa (Seoul: Seoul Selection, 2018) (Korean)

• North Korean Art: Paradoxical Realism (Seoul: Seoul Selection, 2018)

• Contemporary North Korean Art: The Evolution of Socialist Realism (American University Museum, 2016)

BG Muhn, Stefan Stux (Director of Stux Gallery) and Eleanor Hearthey (Art Critic for Art in America)

BG Muhn's Solo Exhibition at Stux Gallery, Chelsea, New York, June 1999

INVITED PUBLIC LECTURES (AS A RESEARCHER):

2023 • “Chosonhwa: North Korean Paintings,” Cultural Lens on North Korea, UC San Diego (December 7)

• “North Korean Chosonhwa: The Irony of the Unrevealed,” Myongji University, Seoul, Korea (June 15)

• “Understanding North Korea through the Lens of Art,”
University of North Korea Studies, Seoul, Korea (June 13)

2022 • “North Korean Chosonhwa: Is It for Revolution or for Art,” Doshisah University, Kyoto, Japan (June 3)

2019 • “Contextualizing North Korean Chosonhwa in Contemporary Art,” the Harvard-Dartmouth Korean Art History Workshop 2019: Modern and Contemporary Korean Art: Continuity and Transformation at Korea Institute, Harvard University on (December 6)

• “North Korean Art: Discovering Chosonhwa’s Hidden Creativity,” Nam Center for Korean Studies,

the University of Michigan (Oct. 22)

• “North Korea in Transition: Politics, Economy, and Society-2019 Speaker Series,”

East Asian Languages & Literatures, University of Pittsburgh (March 8)

2018 • “Transcending Ideologies Through the Artwork of Chosonhwa,” Co-hosted by Partnerships for
International Strategies in Asia & Institute of Korean Studies, George Washington University (Oct. 24)

• “A Journey of Exploration and Discovery of Chosonhwa,” Institute for Korean Studies,

Ohio State University (Oct. 16)

• “A Journey of Exploration and Discovery of Chosonhwa,” Korean Society, New York City (Oct. 4)

• “Understanding North Korea through the Arts, Culture, and Science,” George Washington University (April 15)

• “Beyond the Nuclear Issue in North Korea,”
Institute for International Strategies in Asia & The National Committee on North Korea,
Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University (March 28)

2017 • “Cultural Perspective of North Korea reflected in Its Art,” The Institute for Far Eastern Studies,
Seoul, Korea (Aug. 17)

• “Why North Korean Art Matters?,” Art Sunjae Center, Seoul, Korea (July 12)

2016 • “Contemporary North Korean Art,” Water Mill Center for Robert Wilson, Water Mill, NY (Aug. 4)

• “Contemporary North Korean Art: Evolution of Socialist Realism,” Woodrow Wilson Center, Washington, DC (June 17)

• “The Current Statues of North Korean Art,” The Institute of Far Eastern Studies, Seoul, Korea (May 28)

• “North Korean Culture and Art,” The Graduate School of North Korean Studies, Seoul, Korea (May 23)

2015 • “North Korean Art: Complexity within Simplicity,” Korea Cultural Service, New York,
New York (Nov. 18)

2013 • Unify Korea Symposium, “ Exploring Contemporary North Korean Art with a Focus on Chosonhwa,” Altschul Auditorium, Columbia University, New York, New York (March 2)

• “Exploring Contemporary North Korean Art with a Focus on Chosonhwa,”

Piper Auditorium, Gund Hall, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Feb.13)

2012. • “Passion, Paradox and Propaganda: Exploring North Korean Art through Chosonhwa,”

Korea Studies, SAIS, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC (Nov. 8)

• “Passion, Paradox and Propaganda: Exploring North Korean Art through Chosonhwa,”

Korea Colloquium Seminar, the Korea Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (Nov.1)

• “Images of the Hidden City: Life and Art in Pyongyang, North Korea,”

ICC Auditorium, Georgetown University, Washington, DC (March 14)

• 172nd Washington-Asia Forum - “Images of Pyongyang: Life and Art from the Hidden City,”

Center for Asian Studies, American University, Washington, DC (Feb. 2)